Q&A: Faux pas and other interviewing tips from Boston firm’s hiring head

By Henriette Campagne

Q&A: Faux pas and other interviewing tips from Boston firm’s hiring head

Meredith Haviland knows a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to job interviews.

A summer associate at Foley Hoag in 2003, Haviland has been with the Boston firm for 14 years and today is a partner and chair of the hiring committee.

Asked how many prospective candidates she’s interviewed over the years on Foley’s behalf, Haviland says she’s lost count.

“For more perspective, given my long tenure on the hiring committee, some of the candidates I have interviewed are now partners at the firm,” she adds.

***

Q.The No. 1 interview faux pas is …?

A. While it thankfully doesn’t happen often, using the wrong firm name or referring to a non-existent office can be something that is difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.

I believe this is an issue unique to the craziness of 2L law firm recruiting where students are sometimes juggling multiple interviews per day, all at their law school. Of course, so are the interviewers and I can’t think of an easier way to assume someone is not interested in your firm than them not knowing what offices you have or referring to another firm during your interview.

Q. What are some of the other common missteps you see when you interview new lawyers?

A. A common misconception, especially for law students or new lawyers, is to assume that the interview is intended to be a Q&A session where the interviewer asks their questions and then, if time permits, the interviewee will be able to ask a question or two.

This is actually not the case. The best interviews are actually conversations. Through good conversations, both the interviewer and the interviewee will learn what they need to know about the other.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that it is important to understand the job you are interviewing for and to know what that entails. This is different for a summer associate position than it is for a lateral position.

For a summer associate position, if the firm offers flexibility within their summer program to explore different practice areas, an interviewee should not feel pressured to commit to a specific practice area during the interview and should be careful not to overcommit to an area they may not have a real interest in solely because it is the area in which the interviewer practices (and even worse can be if this “strong interest” changes with each interviewer).

That said, for a lateral position or direct job posting, the job is the job and candidates should be ready to express why they are a good fit for the position and do what they can to understand the position prior to the interview so they can make the most out of the discussion.

Q. Do you expect the candidate to have done research on the firm? Have most candidates done that?

A. Absolutely. When choosing among different candidates, it goes a long way in showing your interest in the position if you have done research on the firm and are able to articulate why you are interested in working at the firm.

On the flip side, it can create an equally negative view if you have not done this research, as the interviewer will likely assume you are not that interested in the position.

Q. How important is it that the candidate has questions for you?

A. I think this is very important as it shows a level of interest in the firm and the job if an interviewee is able to ask relevant questions about the firm, and certain questions — such as those regarding the more subjective factors about working at a law firm — can appropriately be asked of every interviewer.

Every so often an interviewee will tell me that they have no questions as they have already had all their questions answered by prior interviewers. To me, this signals that the interviewee is no longer interested in the firm and has no need for further information about the firm.

Q. Moving on to the subject of appearance, is it OK not to wear a suit? How about neckties; OK to go without? What should women wear and what should they not wear? Is a visible tattoo a problem?

A. I am going to answer these all together. Though you will never know if you didn’t get the job because you didn’t wear a suit or tie, do you want to be left wondering after the fact?

Generally speaking, you are interviewing for a professional position, so business professional attire is expected. You want your qualifications for the position to be the only thing that an interviewer is focused on during the interview.

This is the first of a two-part interview with Foley Hoag’s Meredith Haviland.